Germany has donated hundreds of motorbikes to West Africa in a bid to out-run the Ebola virus which has claimed well over 5,000 lives.

The EU powerhouse has sent 400 bikes to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia so that the countries can speed up the testing process.

The bikes, which have been specially adapted for the West African terrain, will be used to rush samples from remote areas to laboratories.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has said that waiting times for tests will be cut to just one day – as opposed to the nine which it has taken.

The UN adds that faster test results could help save lives and slow the spread of the virus.

WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs said: "The samples coming from 53 districts in the three worst-affected countries — Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia — will be able to be taken to the closest laboratory in less than 24 hours."

The three aforementioned countries have been the worst hit by the outbreak, which has killed more than 5,459 people since last January. At least 1,510 of the deaths have occurred in Sierra Leone.